UPDATE 15 Sept, 10:45am(IST): With great respect for the work done by the Hindi Academy, Delhi: Due to the reasons stated here, and because of other developments that have recently come to light, I have decided to decline this award. I will not be accepting it when I am in India next month.

UPDATE 2 16 Sept, 8:20am(IST): I have been asked if the allegations of political interference in this award played a part in this decision. While I don’t see the need for me to comment more on this than I already have, yes, they did, because they amplified the concerns I outline below.

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I was recently contacted by officials in the Delhi Government and the Delhi Hindi Academy, who informed me that I had been selected as a recipient of the inaugural भाषादूत सम्मान – bhashadoot sammaan – awarded for service to Hindi language and literature. This award was presented yesterday at a Hindi Diwas ceremony at the Hindi Bhawan Sabhaghar. While my duties in Australia prevented me from attending this event, I am honoured to receive this award, and thank the officials at the Hindi Academy for considering me. Continue reading

I absoluty love Shubham Shree’s piece “Poetry Management.” The more I look at the more think about formal features of poetry: meter, alliteration, and the like, and I wonder if she hasn’t expertly written a piece that relies heavily on these features while appearing to shun them. The original text is available here. Daisy Rockwell’s translation is excellent.